Ipomoea sericophylla Meisn. in Martius et al.

Wood, John R. I., Munoz-Rodriguez, Pablo, Williams, Bethany R. M. & Scotland, Robert W., 2020, A foundation monograph of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) in the New World, PhytoKeys 143, pp. 1-823 : 1

65. Ipomoea sericophylla Meisn. in Martius et al. , Fl. Brasil. 7: 260. 1869. (Meisner 1869: 260)

Type.

BRAZIL. Minas Gerais, P. Clausen [289] (lectotype BR00005837199, designated here; isolectotypes BR, NY01043511P, K, S).

Description.

Liana with thick stems. Leaves petiolate, 4-7 × 3.5-6.5 cm, ovate, broadly cuneate to ± truncate, obtuse and apiculate, adaxially green and thinly appressed pilose above, beneath grey-tomentose with long, appressed hairs; petioles 2.5-4.2 cm, densely pubescent. Inflorescence of dense compact pedunculate cymes; peduncles often short, 1-4 cm, usually grey-tomentose; bracteoles 5-10 mm long, filiform, grey-tomentose, somewhat persistent; secondary peduncles 0.5-1 cm; pedicels 3-8 mm, rather short; sepals subequal, 9-10 mm, oblong-lanceolate, acute, silvery-sericeous; corolla 6.5-7 cm long, pink, adpressed sericeous with long hairs. Capsules glabrous; seeds glabrous, shiny blackish-brown with long silky hairs on margins.

Distribution.

Endemic to the cerrados of the planalto of Brazil at c. 700-1000 m.

BRAZIL. Sin. loc., W.J. Burchell 6692 (K). Goiás: 20 km S. of Cavalcante, H.S. Irwin et al. 24228 (FTG, MO, NY); Niquelândia, H.S. Irwin et al. 34998 (FTG, NY); Corumbá de Goiás, E.P. Heringer et al. 17003 (IBGE, US); Luziania, E.P. Heringer et al. 17768 (IBGE, FTG); B. Walter 1329 (CEN, RB); Minaçu, T.B. Cavalcanti 1076 (RB). Minas Gerais: S.E. of Paracatú, H.S. Irwin et al. 26192 (NY, FTG, MO); Serra Bom Jardim, A. Macedo 5800 (US).

Typification.

We have selected the Clausen collection at BR as the lectotype and this is duplicated in various other herbaria. We specifically exclude NY00319222 as it appears to be a mixed collection with Ipomoea sericophylla near the top of the sheet and another species below. The exceptionally large corolla pasted to this sheet may be from a third species, such as I. cearensis .

Note.

Ipomoea sericophylla is a poorly understood and possibly poorly defined species. As understood here and illustrated in Plate 98 of Meisner (1869), it is characterised by its relatively short, compact cymes with persistent filiform bracteoles. Unlike Ipomoea megapotamica and its allies, glands are apparently absent from the sepals, which are acute, not mucronate, and strongly tomentose and the peduncles are short so the inflorescence is characteristically shorter than the leaves.